When arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft began slipping closer (and he was rated by most scouts in the Top Ten overall player grades), the Eagles pounced on Andre Dillard.
The Eagles aggressively made the move up for a player at a premium position—classic “best player available” strategy—sending a first-round pick (No. 25 overall), a fourth-round pick (No. 127 overall), and a sixth-round pick (No. 197 overall) to Baltimore to move up three spots to No. 22 to secure Dillard.
“When he started to fall, we just saw an opportunity to get a top 10 player,” Roseman said. “Again, when you have a top 10 player at an important position, it doesn’t matter about the depth on our team. We’re trying to load up on the lines.”
Roseman originally wanted to get ahead of the Baltimore Ravens. He was certain that the Houston Texans would take an offensive tackle at No. 23. The key for Roseman in making any trade was protecting the two second-round picks, which he accomplished.
And on Friday, the Eagles can still add impact with two of the first 25 picks on Day 2 of the draft.
Among the dozens of MACH 10 contestants here, Palm Feathers of Sarasota, Florida was the only one to hit on Dillard, making Palmy the leader in the clubhouse heading into rounds 2 and 3.
Dillard (6-5, 310, Washington State) started the final 39 games of his college career at left tackle, playing in 42 games overall. As a senior, Dillard also earned third-team All-America honors. According to Pro Football Focus, Dillard was the top pass-blocking tackle as he allowed just one sack on 677 pass attempts in 2018.
A native of Woodinville, Washington, Dillard was named the KingCo 4A Crest Division Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior at Woodinville High School. Dillard’s father, Mitch, was also an offensive lineman at Washington State in the late 1980s.
Due to the trade-up for Dillard, the Eagles have only four more selections scheduled—but don’t count out the possibility of an existing player trade for more picks.
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